Yoenis Cespedes back in Mets lineup day after leaving game with quad tightness

CINCINNATI — Yoenis Cespedes was in the lineup Monday night against the Reds. The Mets slugger left Sunday's game after the first inning with what he said was right quad tightness.

This is an injury that has cost Cespedes games in the past. In 2016, the Mets hemmed and hawed as they hoped Cespedes' nagging right quad issue would go away without a stint on the disabled list. He initially injured it in early July, so they thought the All-Star break would be enough, but Cespedes eventually had to go on the DL in early August.

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It flared up again last year when Cespedes was rehabbing the first of his two hamstring strains. In the first year of his four-year, $110-million deal with the Mets, Cespedes missed 81 games last season with leg injuries and committed himself to trying to keep his lower half healthy this winter. The 33-year-old cut back on using heavy weights with his legs and did more running this offseason. He did more running and started doing yoga to try and keep the muscles loose.

The Mets also spent the winter trying to find ways to keep Cespedes and their other players healthy. Sandy Alderson, frustrated with the overwhelming injuries last season, reorganized the medical staff. He fired long-time head trainer Ray Ramirez, who had unfortunately become the lightning rod for fan ire as the face of the Mets' long history of mishandling injuries. He hired a director of performance and sports science to oversee all aspects of the players health.

Still, injuries happen.

Yoenis Cespedes is back in the lineup. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Cespedes said he initially felt the tightness in his right quad on Saturday trying to beat out a grounder. He said he felt it again as he warmed up, but still started the game. He felt it when he singled in the first Sunday and it got worse as he went first to third.

Then he made the call to say he needed to come out.

"This time it was different than years before," Cespedes said after Sunday's loss. "I just made decision as a precaution to avoid any serious injuries."

The Mets were just starting to get the benefits of their slugger this season. He hit .316 on the 0-6 homestand. It had been a slow start to 2018 for Cespedes, who is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 26 RBI. Despite struggling to get going this year, Cespedes was tied for fourth in the NL in RBI and had three game-winning RBIs entering Monday.